The Boston Red Sox made another unexpected roster move just nine days after firing manager Alex Cora, signing Puerto Rican left-hander Raymond Burgos following his appearance in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. The move comes as Boston continues reshaping its pitching depth following the stunning dismissal of Cora last week.
The 27-year-old reliever spent parts of seven seasons in the Cleveland Guardians and San Francisco Giants organizations without ever securing a sustained major league foothold, and was released by San Francisco last August before resurfacing in Mexico. Burgos arrives from Mexico’s Liga Mexicana de Beisbol after pitching for Puerto Rico in the WBC earlier this year, giving Boston another bullpen depth option amid growing organizational turbulence following Cora’s dismissal.
Burgos Brings Left-Handed Depth to Red Sox Organization
The signing was first reported by Mexican outlet BeisbolPuro and confirmed by the World Baseball Network. Burgos made three starts for the Guerreros de Oaxaca before Boston pulled him out of Mexico, throwing 12 innings and surrendering nine earned runs on 19 hits while striking out eight. Earlier in 2026, he made two appearances for Puerto Rico at the World Baseball Classic, working 3⅔ innings, allowing just one run on two hits and punching out four.
Cleveland drafted Burgos in the 18th round of the 2016 draft out of Pedro Falu Orellano High School in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. He reached Triple-A with the Giants, who signed him as a free agent in December 2022, but his ERA over 71 innings at Sacramento sat at 4.94. His lone MLB appearance came in 2024, when San Francisco handed him the fourth inning of a 5-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Oracle Park. Burgos pitched one inning, allowing three hits and one run, with one strikeout in his big league debut.
The Giants released Burgos on Aug. 4, 2025. Nine months later, Boston came calling.
Red Sox Thin on Lefty Relief Depth at Triple-A
The acquisition addresses a specific organizational gap. Boston currently carries two left-handers in the major league bullpen — closer Aroldis Chapman and Jovani Moran, with Danny Coulombe on the injured list — but the southpaw pipeline at Triple-A Worcester is sparse. Only two lefty relievers appear on the Worcester roster: Eduardo Rivera, who is active, and T.J. Sikkema, currently on the seven-day injured list, according to the World Baseball Network. Burgos, deployed as a starter in Oaxaca, would project as a bullpen arm.
Burgos addressed his Mexican League stint directly before the deal surfaced, framing it as intentional development rather than a last resort. In an interview with journalist Erick Aguirre, he was candid.
“A lot of people, I know they don’t realize it, but this is a tough league,” Burgos said referring to the Mexican circuit. “It’s a league where you have to learn how to pitch, and that’s exactly what I came here to do. And if the Lord allows it and gives us the opportunity to return to the United States, then we’ll do it. If not, then we’ll enjoy our time here in Mexico.”
The opportunity has now arrived for Burgos. What he make of it will be determined largely by whether he can impress Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy, who replaced the fired Cora.
Red Sox Make Surprise Bullpen Move After Alex Cora Firing